toy with the debt ceiling and putting the chances of default at risk, that would be disastrous. we've kind of avoided that for now. don't forget, the fiscal cliff itself is a device that was put in place because of the current situation, because we can't come to an agreement on everything. >> but now it may actually be fostering a lack of bipartisanship, right? the snake has eaten its own tail. >> yes, exactly. >> i love that. it's so useful. >> losing our appetites, right? >> in terms of the other piece, the austerity program that the republicans would have us on, you know, for a long time we've been able to look -- not a long time, but at least a year we've been able to look at what has happened to the u.k. and their economy and sort of this fiscal austerity and how it actually hasn't worked, and as andrew points out, do you think republicans are sort of finally coming to terms with that notion? >> i don't think so. that goes against everything that they stand for. the fact that that would not work. it's funny. andrew mentioned the imf issued some concerns specifically when talki